Fresh voting underway in Karimganj North after April 9 poll scrapped

Guwahati, April 11: The re-poll in Karimganj North is currently underway after the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the April 9 voting void on Friday.

According to an official communication issued by the Commission on April 10, the decision was taken after considering reports from the ground and “all material circumstances” related to the polling process.

“Voting is going on peacefully. We hope the process will continue smoothly under the supervision of officials,” said Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi, District Commissioner of Sribhumi district.

When asked about the reason behind the re-poll, Dwivedi said the matter is under investigation. “The issue is under investigation, but there was vitiation of the poll process. Hence, the Commission decided that a fresh poll was necessary,” he said.

Sharing her experience, voter Debolina Deb Saha said the April 9 voting appeared smooth.

“When we arrived that day, everything seemed fine. Later, we heard there might have been an issue with the EVM. This time as well, the process is going well,” she said.

The ECI invoked provisions under Section 58(2)(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to annul the poll at the identified station.

The affected polling station is located at Baby Land English High School under the 123-Karimganj North Assembly constituency.

The directive has been sent to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Assam, with instructions to ensure wide publicity of the re-poll in the concerned area.

Authorities have also been asked to inform political parties and contesting candidates in writing to facilitate the smooth conduct of the fresh voting exercise.

Additionally, the Commission has directed strict adherence to guidelines outlined in Chapter 13 of the Handbook for Returning Officers, 2023, to ensure transparency and credibility in the re-poll process.

With inputs from agencies